The Traitor
by Keta97
Summary: Loki's relationship with the Warrior Three and Sif is a constant tug of war. They are always expecting the worst, always accusing him. But when one of their adventures goes awry, Loki is provided a chance at changing that. An ultimate chance of proving his loyalty.
1. Chapter 1

**Here's the thing: This was supposed to be a one-shot, ending right here. I just wanted to provide a bit of hurt for Loki without any comfort (yes, I'm sorry!), seeing as that is the way Loki is meant to be (as in, in the canon). But then it just got bigger and more adventure-y, I decided to push the point even further and yeah, this is how it ended.**

**The characters are children or teens (excuse me for not knowing how aging works for immortal gods xD)**

* * *

„Stay away from us, you traitor!"

That was different. The other kids were often mean, snarky and distrusting. But they were never this open hostile. Not without a reason at least. Justified hostility was tolerable. This wasn't.

And yet Loki didn't speak. He just looked at Fandral, who was giving him an arrogant glare, shrugged his shoulders and returned to his book. It was stupid in the first place to try to go and ask them why they are all standing there, shooting him these glares. Not that he was letting it slide, he was just waiting for better circumstances.

Which came with Thor. The four friends surrendered the golden prince the moment he entered the room and there they stood, talking about something or other. Loki didn't care, honestly. Thor wouldn't send him away. So once again he left his reading stand and approached the group.

"Thor," he spoke quietly, once he was close enough to his brother. "I shall have a word with you."

Thor spun around and Loki was met with a frown. "No. I shall not have a word with _you_."

Honestly, Loki thought, Thor was sometimes unbearably childish even for a child. Loki turned to the others and said coldly: "In private, if you don't mind."

"I don't think we should leave Thor alone in your company after you'd once ditched him like that, you traitor!" Sif snarled; her glare the deadliest of them all.

"You might wanna be careful," murmured Loki darkly, "so you won't find your beds filled with fleas."

Sif bit her lip and with one last murderous look she retreated. She knew better then to question validity of the threat. At this point it was a miracle that she and the boys didn't build up a tolerance to flea bites. Loki made a mental note to come up with a new threat later.

Once they were alone, Loki gave Thor, who stood with his arms crossed over his chest, sidelong glance.

"So," he asked, "why am I a traitor?"

"As if you need to ask!" Thor exclaimed.

Loki just looked at him meaningfully.

Thor seemed to deflate somewhat when genuine confusion replaced his anger: "You don't remember?"

"No, Thor," Loki said, dangerously close to snapping, "I'm pretty sure I would remember betraying you. So enlighten me. Why am I a traitor?"

"You left me in that gap. Father had to be the one to came and save me. Don't tell me you don't remember it," Thor was still frowning, still annoyed and yet somewhat less so now.

That had actually happened the day before. The two princes had been playing outside without the others for once and decided to do a bit of exploring around Asgard. They ended up discovering a moat round the border of the city. Unfortunately, they discovered it only after Thor had fallen into it. Loki remained on the periphery, because he'd managed to stop in time. The pit wasn't altogether dangerous. It even wasn't all that deep, just irritably deep enough for Thor to be unable to climb out. Even if he could reach Thor, Loki would never be strong enough to pull him up. And he knew no magic tricks that could help him out. At first, they tried to walk down the moat, hoping to find a less steep site. When that turned out in vain, they had to make do with different tactic.

"I went for help," Loki said in a tone reserved for mentally challenged, very slowly and carefully, searching Thor's face. Why wasn't this simple fact acknowledged by his brother?

"Aye, that's what you claimed. But you lied."

"What?" Loki gave a short, startled laugh. "No, I didn't!"

"If you didn't, then why have you never come back? I had to wait for father, who found me hours later!" challenged Thor, almost triumphant.

"I was to one who send father for you!"

Thor was taken aback by that small bit of information. "You did?" he asked after a moment, dumbly.

"Yes, imagine that!" answered Loki dryly.

Thor was working though his surprise and back into disbelief and suspicion: "Then why didn't you come back with him? Then I would have never doubted you."

Even after the whole affair, it was just now that Loki looked hurt: "I honestly didn't think I was bound to prove anything to you." Then he added, matter-of-factly: "When I found father I wanted to lead him to you, but he said that he knows where you are and send me to my rooms."

Loki shrugged, as if the whole thing was no big deal, though he secretly enjoyed how Thor's arrogance dissolved into regret. "So I went back to my books. I remember Sif wanting to know where you are, but I didn't tell her because, firstly, falling into a pit isn't very regal and pricey and I imagined you wouldn't appreciate if everyone knew. Secondly, because I was sure you and father will be back any minute and there won't be any need for me to answer her anyway."

"Well," Thor said, "when we came home, Sif was falling head over heels to complain to me you refused to tell her where I was. So I told her..."

He flushed slightly at Loki's pointed look.

"I didn't really think about it like you did. I simply told her what had happened and ever since then she thought you had left me there on purpose."

"It was all part of my evil plan of reading my book in peace," Loki deadpanned.

Thor didn't seem to understand the joke, so Loki went on, lest he would create another misunderstanding: "You all always assume that I have some kind of purpose. But you never even dream about what it would be, do you? Well, surprise, because neither do I. What would I gain by leaving you there, when it was obvious that even if I didn't get him, Father would eventually find you anyway?"

Thor wouldn't meet his gaze, when he answered: "You know you could have done it out of spite."

"I don't despise you!" Loki protested.

"I know, I know," Thor assured him quickly. "But Sif thinks..."

"Sif hates me," Loki cut him, coldly. He said it as a fact. It wasn't a petty accusation. The warrior girl would be ready to swear her hatred towards him at any given time and everyone knew it.

"I'm sure she will see you in a new light after I tell her about this," Thor insisted, stubbornly holding onto his naivety. Loki didn't feel like arguing. He knew that any words against this Thor's ideal image of his friends would fall on deaf ears. So he assumed neutral expression.

"Go ahead. As long as you drop the traitor thing you can do whatever you please."

Thor smiled at him, completely missing the sting in Loki's voice.

The older prince started out of the room, but when he opened the door, he found out that he doesn't have to go far to find his friends. They were listening behind the closed door and now they hurriedly tried to appear nonchalant. Sif straightened up - she was obviously looking though the keyhole. The reaction of the two brothers differenced incredibly.

Thor's reaction was a quiet, surprised: "Oh." And then a genuine smile, as if he saw nothing wrong with his friends' actions. Maybe he wasn't even aware what their presence so close behind the door suggested.

Loki on the other hand felt something hardening in his chest. He asked for privacy. If they refused to give it to him, then he didn't feel obliged to tame himself. This meant war. It won't take long for them to regret their curiosity.

Thor started talking, not caring one bit if they were actually listening. That considered, he most probably didn't actually realize that his friends already heard the whole conversation.

Sif's gaze locked with Loki's. It never changed. Despite the words falling from Thor's mouth to her ears, the hatred never wavered. Loki honestly wasn't surprised and readily returned the stare.

In the end it was Vostagg who decided that it's time for supper and that there was enough said already. Thor was immediately sold and followed him enthusiastically out into the corridor and towards the kitchens. The rest followed.

Loki was left alone, Sif's murderous glare still alive in his mind's eye.

He hated himself for expecting an apology. Right now Thor once again completely forgot Loki's entire existence, lost in his bliss. It was stupid to assume anything else. And yet he did. Here he stood, waiting for the final words of "You are not a traitor, I'm sorry for calling you one" which never came.

He returned to his book, keeping his features composed. He already had a perfect idea for a new prank. He closed the book and returned it to its place. He didn't have time to read it now, he had to work while they were distracted.

He sighed, so quietly that it was barely noticeable. He wished he didn't have a reason to do this.

* * *

_To be continued_


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the long build-up, the adventure is in the next chapter, I promise! It's just that I shamelessly enjoy writing this slice-of-life stuff xD Also, I suck at coming up with pranks.**

* * *

"Loki!"

It was strange, how much better a prank seemed, after Loki had heard the anger and desperation in the voice of his victim. Something about the way they barked out his name was making it even more hilarious. Of course, it only worked until he heard the cry from up close, yelled in his face, with a promise of punishment or a payback or both.

For now though, he could enjoy the beautiful symphony of Sif's shrieks and Thor's roar from safe distance.

He turned to sneak away from the scene of crime, hoping to enlarge the distance even more. But before he could, he suddenly felt someone grab him and he froze. When he looked back, he saw Hogun, face as grim as ever, silently watching him and holding his wrist in death grip.

Killjoy.

Loki considered his chances. He could win a struggle against Hogun on a good day in the training field, but here they would be inevitably caught and interrupted and Loki would just get blamed for starting a fight. No help there. And his silver tongue? What good would excuses do now? So he just stayed completely still, waiting for his brother to storm out of the armory...

Waving over his head with Mjölnir. The hammer completely covered in pink color, glitter and flower petals that remained stuck to the dried color.

Thor was obviously planning at invading Loki's rooms, or some other further located area, so when he saw Loki standing still just a couple of feet away from the armory, he did a double take. Then he grinned at Hogun to express his gratitude. To Loki the smile seemed somewhat vicious. The frown that replaced it when Thor's gaze returned to Loki couldn't have been more threatening.

"Looking great, brother," Loki commented slyly. "Love your new style."

Just as he said it, there was another person leaving the armory. Sif stepped out, holding in her hands a sword in its sheath and keeping it at arm's length as if it was cursed.

"You glued my favourite sword to its sheath," she bit out, coldly.

Loki just smiled innocently at that. He did way more than just that, but Sif will take some time to discover all the surprises he prepared for her. Or so he hoped, anyway.

"Why did you do this?" Thor demanded, raising Mjölnir threateningly.

Loki had to admire his own handiwork. It was amusing to watch Thor try to use the sparkly girly accessory that was once his weapon as something menacing and deadly.

"Oh, no reason," he lied calmly. Because why tell the truth? What would he gain, if he told them how hurt and offended he felt when they suspected him of treason based on no facts whatsoever? Oh, it was just something Loki would do, wasn't it? Because Loki never cared for his brother, he was always jealous of him, wasn't he?

"I think you should have a pretty good no-reason for ruining our weapons like this," Sif said meaningfully.

Loki smiled at her words, but there was no joy in it. "I'm sure you'll think of something. You always seemed to be good at coming up with my apparent reasons." Loki had to stop himself. No ranting. No complaining. Even this biting remark seemed a bit too frank now that he thought about it. He should stay calm and play it safe.

"Maybe it will surprise you, but I did it just for fun," he added therefore. "Pranks are meant to be fun."

"But why our weapons? Why Mjölnir?" cried Thor, who seemed to soften the slightest bit at the reasoning, reminding himself, probably, that he can't punish Loki for innocent fun. No matter how much he wants to.

Sif didn't share Thor's sentiment. She was still as cold and hard as ever.

"I would kick your ass right away if I had my sword," she announced. "But since I don't, you might have to wait until I get it out of its sheath." Loki raised one brow at that. Surely she wouldn't let him off the hook so easily?

"Or," she empathized, "I could just make do with my fists." And just like that, without warning she struck her fist into his stomach. Loki bend over with a yelp of pain, Hogun's tight grasp keeping him from backing away.

Thor looked like he wanted to say something at first, but then he shot a glance at Mjölnir and in the end, didn't interfere.

When Loki looked up, Sif smiled at him. "Hope that will help you remember," she said, "to never _ever _touch my sword. But just in case it isn't clear enough yet, wait until I have it back. Then I will battle you and defeat you like the weakling you are."

Loki snorted humorlessly at that, which just earned him a slap across the face. He wondered if he could find a spell that would allow him to murder people with his stare.

Sif turned on her heel, throwing intentionally her long hair into his face and then stomped off, with the sword still clenched in one hand.

"Hogun," Loki said though gritted teeth, "you can let go of me now. There's hardly anything I might want to run away from anymore." He looked at Thor as he said it, but the older prince seemed to calm down. He was still majorly pissed but not to the violent point.

Hogun didn't move for a moment. He looked at Loki, as if considering his words, deciding whether or not to trust him. Finally he settled for squeezing Loki's wrist painfully as a punishment of his own – Loki didn't touch any of his things, but he undoubtedly assumed he did, so he punished him in advance. Then he turned and walked away as if nothing happened.

Loki didn't prank Hogun, because he didn't call him a traitor before – he did not as much as acknowledge his existence – but maybe it was a naive mistake on Loki's part. Hogun seemed to be just as quick to jump to wrong conclusions about Loki as everyone else. So why leave him out? Loki made a mental note to give Hogun a good reason for his punishment before the end of the day.

"How do I get the color off?" Thor asked pointedly.

Loki turned back to him and casually answered: "By wearing it off? Hitting giants, dwarfs and dragons with it sounds like the best idea. I'm pretty sure it dissolves in blood."

Thor gave him an annoyed look: "No, really, Loki? I can't use Mjölnir in battle when it looks like this!"

"You can't?"

When Thor's eyes narrowed dangerously, Loki decided he shouldn't push it. "You could try scrubbing it off with a brush," he recommended mercifully.

"I'm going to ask mom for help," Thor said firmly. "And I'm going to tell her what you did."

That almostsounded like a valid point. Almost. But Thor didn't mean this threat and Loki knew it.

"I don't think you will," he replied calmly. "You're too proud for that. You don't want her to see Mjölnir like this."

Thor frowned thoughtfully. Loki saw him reach the same conclusion before the older boy groaned angrily, helplessly and then started off in the direction of his chambers, with one last warning glance over his shoulder.

Loki waited until he'd lost sight of him and then he followed him. Watching Sif trying to loosen her sword in its sheath could be dangerous if she saw him, but in stalking Thor was no harm. He could always say he decided to help him. Thor would believe him.

As Loki crept into Thor's room so he could see what's going on in Thor's bathroom (each of their rooms had its own restroom), he found himself realizing that Thor was the opposite of his friends. Where they saw bad intentions, he saw only the best ones. He knew Loki is on their – or more precisely _his_ – side.

The problem was, - as always, Loki though darkly, - Sif. Thor listened to the warrior girl way too much and whenever she suspected Loki of something, he joined her cause without hesitation. It was ridiculous, how easily was Thor influenced by others.

Loki spied on Thor as he dumped Mjölnir into the sink and turned on the water. Some flower petals were torn off by the stream and the color also started leaking, but that was all. Thor stared at the hammer, desperate expression on his face, hoping that the water will do his work for him.

Loki suddenly wondered where this guilty feeling had come from. Thor deserved this. He shouldn't have listened to Sif when she was trying to convince him that Loki's a traitor. He should have known better. He should have gone and talk to Loki instead of turning against him. He should have...

Loki sighed. When have pranks become his weapon? He couldn't remember. Maybe he could help Thor after all. They will have fun, they will both end up covered in glitter and pink color and they won't have to worry about their appearance because the other kids are far away.

He didn't show it often around others, but despite all the gossip and lies, Loki valued his brother and enjoyed his company. The more upsetting it was that the last time they were outside just the two of them, Thor fell into the moat and it ended up dividing them.

No need to continue this circle of hate, he decided and stepped away from the door, so he could knock and pretend he only just now came in.

Before he could do so though, he was suddenly interrupted by Vostagg's cry of: "Guys, come look at this!"

Thor rushed out of his bathroom, though his chamber and towards the source of the call, but he stopped abruptly when he noticed Loki next to the door.

"Loki?" he asked in bewilderment as he looked back at his younger brother and ensured that indeed, Loki was standing right there.

"Never mind," Loki waved his hand dismissively, to give the impression that whatever he came here for could wait. While in truth he felt annoyance burning inside his chest. Thor's friends ruined everything and he will have to be patient. As always.

* * *

_To be continued_


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Loki si young and can't teleport yet. Just so you know... **

* * *

They found Vostagg on one of the many balconies. He was eating some pastry and pointing over the golden roofs of houses to the border of the city. There was a dark forest, not exactly eye-catching, that no one ever visited. Loki couldn't even remember if the place had a name.

Now though it seemed to gain a whole new level of interesting, as there were suddenly visible strange lights between the tree trunks. As if small balls of light, much bigger and brighter than fireflies, were hovering there in the forest.

The two princes met up with the remaining three warriors on their way to Vostagg, so now the whole party was here and they all looked to Thor to see the smile widening on his lips.

"Adventure time!" he announced and they all rolled their eyes in unison. But they followed him all the same when he set off, without the slightest hesitation.

They were still too young to climb up horses and they were forbidden to even try it anywhere but at the training field so they went on foot. Vostagg tried to complain about having to walk, but he was soon enough silenced by Sif, who had her own complains about not being able to take her favourite sword with her. Loki felt vague satisfaction at how upset she was about it.

"So," Loki caught up to Thor, "what do you want to do, anyway?"

"See what or where are the lights coming from, of course," Thor answered cheerfully.

Loki paused for a moment, but he felt he needs to say it: "What if it's something dangerous?"

Thor frowned at first, probably remembering the lack of Mjölnir at his side, but his expression cleared right afterwards: "Nonsense. They are just lights. Lights can't be dangerous."

Loki's somber "Whatever you say" didn't reach his ears. But then the buildings already ceased around them and the trees opened up to a path into the depts of the forest.

It turned out that the lights were much further in the forest then they seemed from the balcony. Or maybe they moved away from the edge of the forest before the group approached it. Neither managed to stop Thor who carelessly continued deeper and deeper into the forest, reluctantly followed by his brother and friends. The trees were so tick that the sunlight was muted to dim darkness. The lights shone brightly though it, disappearing and reappearing between the trees and bushes, always at the edge of vision, never drawing closer. They seemed to be unreachable like stars, luring the adventurers ever further.

After a few minutes of silent progress, Hogun grimly voiced the though that was lurking in Loki's mind: "Someone is leading us into a trap."

"What?" Fandral exclaimed, his voice betraying his unease. "Why would you say that?"

Hogun offered no explanation, instead Sif said: "I don't think we're ever gonna catch those things." Vostagg huffed out his approval.

Thor also seemed to agree with Sif, though somewhat reluctantly, and he turned to Hogun: "So you are saying someone is going to fight us?" He seemed positively delighted at the perspective.

Loki stayed silent, thinking how idiotic Thor's excitement was. Normal people wouldn't be enthusiastic about an ambush. Normal people would worry for their lives. Loki did.

"I'm already sorry I ever noticed those lights," mumbled Vostagg and then, more loudly, he asked: "How about we just return home?"

But then, even before Vostagg finished talking, Loki felt a faint touch of magic in the air and he knew that whoever guided them here has just made his move. He and Thor were at the head of the group, looking back at their friends, so it was them who saw the creatures first. The others didn't need a hint to immediately turn around when they saw the surprise immediately followed by arrogant smile on Thor's face. Loki's expression remained neutral.

They looked similar to Aesir. They were as high as a grown men (with meant still a few feet taller then the young warriors) and their features were curled into identical kind smiles. They surrounded the group, appearing first behind them to cut away their way back and then all around them in a full circle. There were ten of them. Their forms were covered in soft white mists and almost every part of their bodies was silvery white, almost transparent. Nothing except the smiles was visible on their faces, because their features were blurred and uncertain, seemingly changing in front of one's very eyes.

"Ignis fatuus'," Loki murmured, cursing himself for not realizing it sooner. But really, why would these creatures try to lure them into a forest? The books said they lure people into swamps or over the edges of cliffs and waterfalls. Appearing here like this was something uncharacteristic of them.

"What?" Thor asked without looking at him, busy staring at his enemies.

"Will-o'-the-wisps," Loki supplied helpfully, still speaking quietly so only Thor by his side could hear. "Though they don't usually act like this."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Thor asked in an authoritative voice, the voice of a leader.

One of the many completely identical smiles wavered and the creature spoke: "We are the Light."

"Well, obviously," Sif growled, already in a battle-stand even without her sword.

"We feed on desperation and fear of our victims. Once they realize that it's too late from them to turn back, the anxiety is creates in them is wonderful," it ignored Sif completely, talking in a cold, disinterested voice. "But we have grown weaker without travelers passing-by. No one comes in here anymore. So today we put the last of our strength into our glow and you came. Unfortunately we don't have the power to lead you on. The swamps are far away. So we have decided to try this different way."

"I'm afraid you are destined to starve," Thor declared proudly, "because we are not afraid of you. You will find no desperation or anxiety in our hearts."

"Maybe just a bit of uncertainty," Fandral corrected.

"You are wrong," the misty figure stated matter-of-factly.

Thor and Sif sprang at almost the same moment – though none of them had a weapon – and aimed each with their fist at one of the ghosts closest to them. But their strikes backfired when they failed to find find any resistance. Sif managed to find her balance, but Thor almost fell over. The mists didn't even move, as their hands moved right though them. The second after she struck however was Sif backing away, staring at the mist as if it had bit her. Thor followed her suit, returning to Loki's side. When the younger prince looked at him, he immediately felt as his own heart started beating harder. From Thor's expression was obvious that he was terrified.

But why? "What happened?" Loki asked gently.

Thor seemed to rapidly recompose himself as he looked back at Loki. His eyes hardened: "I don't know. I just... I was suddenly scared, without any reason." He looked around at the creatures hatefully.

Loki quickly thought about it, while Hogun and Vostagg tried to attack their surrenders as well only to end up with the same result. The will-o'-the-wisps must have got some kind of power that created the sense of fear in everybody who touched them. They didn't provide any reason for said fear, just the fear itself. But obviously in such intensity that they managed to scare even Thor (Loki couldn't remember if he ever saw his brother scared like this before).

Still, it was worth the argument. "Can we overcome the fear long enough to walk through them?"

Thor's way of answering was to once again charge at the enemy. He once again tried to punch them with his fist, but this time expected the void and instead made a step forward. For a moment it looked like he will make another one, but then he made a low whimpering sound and drew back so quickly, that he almost collided with Sif.

For a moment he was just trying to catch his breath, staring around widely. Then he looked at Loki, as if remembering a dream: "You asked me before if I can fight the fear, right?"

"Yes, that was my question," Loki answered.

"Then no," Thor spat and it was obvious that he feels ashamed about it, though he covered his hurt pride with anger, "I don't think I can. I tried to move on, but then it was suddenly too much, it was like all reason was wiped out from my mind and all I could think was that I must get away. I actually wanted to turn and run!"

"I understand," Loki offered. "It wasn't you anymore. They overflowed you with an emotion and it was too much."

"Exactly," Thor happily jumped at the opportunity to help his self-esteem, "I would never act like that. They did something to my head."

"See," one of the Lights said, the smiles never leaving their faces, "You are getting scared. You are realizing that you can't escape us. You would die of terror before you'd reach the edge of the forest."

Loki was getting fed up with this situation. There _had _to be a way out of this. But he didn't have enough information. The books could tell him only so much – none of that knowledge was useful here. He even wasn't sure about what their actual situation _was_. Will-o'-the-wisps generally killed their victims, yes, but not in cold blood. Not directly. Could they even harm them except for the dying-of-fear thing? Were they just going to stand there until they all drop dead or were they going to be satisfied at some point and leave them alone? Any why were they still smiling like that?

He hesitated just for a moment, but then decided that he can't possibly make their situation any worse: "You know, you never really answered the second question. What exactly do you want?"

"Yeah," Thor chimed in.

"We need power," one of the will-o'-the-wisps suddenly reached out and touched Fandral, who retreated closer to the center of the group, watching the mists with wild eyes. "When you are afraid, you are giving away your own power to the source of your fear. It's a natural reaction. And since we need all the power we can get, we will slowly drain you until there's nothing left. It might take a while. But eventually you will be just empty shells."

"And people who will find your bodies – if they ever will - will wonder what happened to you," another one spoke up. "It's amusing, really."

_Well, ha ha,_ Loki thought, but he didn't dare voice the biting comment. He considered using his magic – but what spell could be helpful here? He hadn't been taught of any weaknesses that the will-o'-the-wisps possessed. Still, that didn't mean they don't have any. It's not like he had been taught about their power to make others feel fear either. He had to at least try something.

At the tips of his fingers he summoned a small flame and, holding it like a candle, testily pushed it through the misty body of one of the creatures. He expected the fear that Thor described. What he didn't expect was the sudden pull at his fingertips as something tore the flame away from him. He realized that he's breathing hard and backing away without ever intending to move, but even despite that, he felt confused about what happened with the flame. His confusion only grew, when the figure reached after him.

"What was that? Give us more, it felt so powerful!" it cried, abandoning the disinterested tone.

General air of surprise seemed to pass over all the other Lights, all of them focusing on the one who broke the pattern. The Aesir exchanged glances, but then settled at watching their enemies. Only Sif stared at Loki for a while longer, suspicion easily finding its way back into her eyes.

Loki was aware that the terror isn't fading away as it should have been after he backed away from the will-o'-the-wisp's touch. But it was because he was, quite frankly, terrified. The creature sucked the magic power out of his fingers and his hand was still tingling with the sensation. He didn't want to experience it again.

For the Light though, the opposite was true. It broke the circle to get closer to Loki and touched him in the middle of his chest. Loki's fears boiled over with the contact, partly the real one, partly the artificially created one. Something in him screamed to run and hide, again and again, until he was deafened by it and all the other thoughts were drown out.

When he was finally able to once again think clearly, he became aware of two things: first, that the Light is expressing its disappointment and second, that he's curled up in Thor's arms. He jumped away just as readily as if Thor was a ghost and refused to meet his concerned gaze, cursing himself for that show of weakness. He didn't even bother to look at the others – he could _feel_ the mockery – and turned back towards the will-o'-the-wisps.

"Your fear isn't good enough, we want your power. We need you to give us that power of yours," they whispered crazily, repeating themselves and talking over each other.

Loki tried to ignore the panic rising in him. They could feed on his magic. That meant that no matter what spell he would use, they would always just tear it away from him. At first he thought that maybe the flame would burn them or shine through the mists, thus allowing them to leave. His back-up plan was to create wind to break the mist up. But now he knew that they would just absorb his power. So what else could they possibly do to get away? What should he do now that their enemy showed interest in him specifically?

The answer seemed much too obvious.

"I will give you my power," he decided, "if you let my friends go."

"What?!" cried the remaining five warriors simultaneously.

Thor seized Loki's arms and forcefully turned him to look at him: "Brother, have you gone mad? You can't do that!"

"Why not?" Loki threw back, pretending annoyance while actually feeling touched by the concern. "It's the only way to get you out of here."

"We won't leave you behind!" Thor argued.

"We're not like you," Sif cut in, shooting Loki a poisonous glare and earning narrow-eyed look from him.

"Some may say it's not wise to insult the person who just offered to sacrifice himself for you," Loki reminded her coldly, "He might decide that you aren't worth it and he should just let you die."

Thor, who was obviously upset and bothered by their quarrel, spoke up before Sif could retort: "No one's going to die!"

"You could tell them that you will give them your power only if they let you go as well," Vostagg suggested helpfully.

"Don't support him! He will end up making them let him go and leaving us behind!" Sif barked aggressively.

"That's an excellent idea," Loki smirked evilly, just to see the anxiety at Sif's face. "But despite the popular belief, I'm not like that."

"I'd love to see you prove it," Sif snapped.

"I was just about to, but you interrupted me," Loki replied, his smile kinder.

But Thor didn't let go of him yet. "Don't you dare!" he warned him.

"I'm afraid it's our only chance. They are getting a bit impatient," Fandral said, carefully avoiding Thor's eyes.

He was right. The figures seemed even more blurred now, the smiles disappearing from their faces. They seemed to be listening to the conversation, intently watching every Loki's move like a predator that sees it's pray. But they were running out of patience, some of them trying to reach out or get closer to the warriors to cause more fear, while others discouraged them from doing it, begging them to wait for a taste of magic. The whole group seemed to be rapidly loosing its composure and it seemed to be just a matter of time before they decide that they don't believe Loki and close the circle tightly enough to make the Aesirs go mad with fear.

Loki summoned another little flame, this time just a spark and offered it on an open palm. It was immediately sucked away as if someone blew out a candle. Loki once again felt the uncomfortable sensation. "I will give you more," he said to the will-o'-the-wisps who started complaining about how tiny the spark was, "but you _must_ let the others go."

He pushed away Thor's arms, stepping away from the group. The mists that cloaked the creatures moved out and separated him from the others, soon followed by the will-o'-the-wisps themselves, who left the warriors standing freely and surrounded only Loki. Thor tried to reach out for him, the fear in his eyes real this time, but soon was inflicted with so much of the fake fear that he once again had to give up and back away.

It was definitely more terrifying to stand between the enemies alone, without Thor's supportive form at his side. Loki created soft wind around him and let the creatures feed on it, but he soon enough realized that small spells won't cut it anymore. He felt them as they tore away the power he was using to create the wind. It was cold and painful, whenever one of them tugged harder or reached deeper then they should and not only devoured the power that Loki released to the air but also the rest of it that was still partly in his body, his blood, his mind. It felt close to being skinned alive and Loki had to use all of his willpower to keep from screaming when it happened. He would compare it to an animal biting off his fingers, when he was offering it food. To save himself the pain he caught himself putting more and more power into the spell to keep them satisfied.

He was doing exactly what they wanted him to. Hurt pride burned within him at the thought, but there was no use in dwelling on it. He knew that giving away so much power will kill him eventually. As he will grow weaker, the pain their eagerness was causing him will catch up to him and he will give up even the very last bits of himself - the ones he wouldn't normally be able to use but which he will gain access to in a desperate attempt to ease the maddening pain. The pain that will be getting the worse, the more he will try to stop it.

Somewhere at the edge of his consciousness he was aware that the warriors left, but any thoughts faded away as the will-o'-the-wisps tore at his magic and the pain started to slowly but steadily overcome him.

* * *

_To be continued_


	4. Chapter 4

Sif and Hogun had to catch Thor and hold him back, lest he would keep on trying to reach though the mists. He was shouting Loki's name and cursing under his breath.

"We should go, or they will return for us once they are... done," Fandral suggested, choking a bit on the last part. Everyone but Thor agreed, so Sif and Hogun had to drag him away. After a few steps he started grudgingly cooperating (to their great relief, because if he hadn't, they would never be able to get him anywhere).

They went quietly, none of them daring to look at Thor. If they had, they would saw tears and helpless anger and hatred in his eyes. It was about a minute later when the Lights disappeared between the trees from their sight – though only one who looked back was Vostagg, who was the only one of the warriors benevolent enough to not hide his sadness. Hogun's face was unreadable as always. Sif had a dark expression clouding her face, and only a really keen observer would spot guilt in her manner. Fandral seemed uneasy and watched Vostagg's pained expression as if hoping to pick up some of it. He obviously didn't know how to feel about the situation and assumed he _should_ be touched or hurt, but couldn't quite find it in himself.

And then the screams began.

They all immediately recognized Loki's voice. Thor's head sprang up, he stopped and looked over his shoulder, his breathing suddenly violent, his eyes blindly searching in the forest and failing to find what they were seeking.

"We must help him!" he rasped roughly.

"We can't, Thor!" Sif reminded him vigorously.

"I can't do this," Thor insisted, choking back tears. "I can't walk away, listening to how he suffers."

"Then cover your ears," Hogun said, as insensitive as ever.

"No. They can't possibly be hurting him, can they? He said he will give them his power... That shouldn't hurt, right?" Thor frantically wondered aloud, refusing to drop the subject, as if thinking about it somehow helped him ease his pain.

Vostagg cringed each time a new scream rang through the air: "Maybe we should just stop thinking about it and move somewhere further away?"

Sif and Hogun pulled at Thor's arms and he reluctantly started moving again. They haven't gone five steps though when they abruptly stopped again.

The screams cut off.

They stood and stared blankly, pale-faced, none of them daring to move, all thinking the same.

It just happened. This was it. They heard Loki die.

Thor looked sick. They simply stood in numb silence for some time. Then Sif spoke up, with a trace of guilt in her voice: "Hey, maybe it's a stupid idea, but... Do you guys think we should take home his, um, Loki's body?"

"What?" Fandral cried, "You want to go back? After he died to get us out of there?!"

"Yes," Thor agreed grimly. "I need to know for sure. I think... Maybe father or our healers could still save him..."

"It seemed strange to walk back into the trap we just escaped from," Hogun pointed out.

Sif's eyes connected with Thor's and after a moment, she spoke with firm low tone: "They aren't interested in us anymore. Do you remember how they concentrated on him after they first tasted his magic? Our fear is nothing compared to it. They have been fed."

"Or so you hope," Fandral corrected.

"I'm going back," Thor decided. "You don't have to go with me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Fandral announced readily. Vostagg voiced the same opinion, just more politely.

"I will go with you," Sif said to Thor. "I really want to see the smile on the bastard's face when we come back and find out that he's alright." She laughed, but it was strangled and nervous.

Hogun crossed his arms over his chest disapprovingly, but said only: "Be swift."

Following his advice, Thor and Sif turned and ran back the way they came. From time to time they stopped and looked around, listening intently, making sure that there are no enemies around. But the forest was quiet and dark, no lights anywhere to be seen.

It took them about half a minute before they found themselves at the exact place, where the 'ambush' happened. As they neared, they clearly recognized small figure lying in the middle of the path. Sif had to be the one to check for enemy forces this time, because it seemed that Thor can't take his eyes away from Loki.

He was lying on his back, eyes closed, face even paler than was usual from him. He almost looked as if he was only sleeping, except for the complete stillness. Thor watched him for a moment to make sure – his chest didn't move.

"He isn't breathing," he whispered to himself. He should have expected that. He did, kind of. But it was still crushing to see and really _know_ for sure. He hesitantly moved closer.

"Just... pick him up and let's go," murmured Sif next to him. She too seemed to be more touched by seeing Loki's still form, but she didn't let that chase away her common sense.

Thor bended to take Loki in his arms, but before he even touched him, Loki suddenly jerked and started breathing in little shallow gasps. Thor jumped away and stared in wonder.

"Did he just...?" Sif muttered in genuine surprise.

Thor's answer was a small startled cry of delight. The tears in his eyes suddenly weren't tears of grief but of joy. Loki was still unconscious, but he was alive. Thor bended over for the second time and gently picked him up, holding him closer than was necessary for mere transport. They started once again down the path.

"He's actually alive," Sif said, some of the old severity returning to her with the relief. "But only after he gave us such a fright. What is his problem?"

Thor tried to frown at her, but his joy was too great, so he kept smiling even though he spoke sternly: "I don't know how it's possible that Loki returned to life after we saw him dead, but I'm sure he had no intention of hurting us."

"Well, I think-" Sif began, but she was interrupted, because they already came into view of the rest of the party and Fandral loudly expressed his delight at their return.

Vostagg was the second one to welcome them back. And the only one, who actually showed some interest in Loki.

"He's alive," he noted immediately, when he noticed the light movement of Loki's chest and he returned Thor's appreciative smile.

"How?" Hogun demanded suspiciously.

"We don't know," Thor answered. "When we first saw him, he wasn't breathing at all, but then he suddenly jerked and started breathing. Maybe he did something with his magic? I don't really care." He lowered his head to gently touch with Loki's resting on his chest and silently dared everybody in the world to even try and take Loki away from him.

As they continued on their return journey, Sif seemed still more and more uncomfortable, until she finally blurred out: "I think that this all was just one of Loki's tricks."

"I was thinking the same," Hogun admitted.

"What?" Thor immediately assumed defensive tone.

"I just find it very unlikely that he would survive," Hogun clarified.

"It seems like something he would do," Sif continued. "He wants to see us cry over him. He wants to be the honored and beloved hero."

"While actually just pretending to sacrifice himself," Hogun chimed in.

"Silence!" Thor shouted. "I will not hear you speak about him in such a way! It wasn't a trick, it couldn't have been! We never expected to get into danger and Loki didn't plan for it to end this way. You were there with me, Sif, you saw him laying there, all pale and still. He couldn't have been pretending that!"

"He could have..." Sif mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that?" Thor asked firmly.

"Hold his breath," Sif said with a slight trace of embarrassment in her features. "He could have done that just to scare us."

"He's unconscious. You need to be conscious to hold your breath," Thor reasoned.

"He could be pretending even now," Sif argued and without warning, she pinched Loki's cheek. There was no reaction. Sif's courage faltered, but she tried it once more, a bit harder. When not even that brought results, she let out a little ashamed "Oh" and turned her gaze away.

"But it could be still part of one of his schemes," Hogun said after he witnessed Sif's unsuccessful efforts. "What do we know about him? We know only that he isn't a noble hero. He's a backstabber."

"He's my brother," Thor corrected angrily, but he felt the tiny spark of doubt igniting inside of him. It was possible that this was just another game to Loki. He was aware that Loki's plans and schemes are always more complex then he could ever imagine or understand, so the point that he didn't know what it would be good for didn't seem valid here. Thor didn't want to even think about it, but his friends' ideas always found a way of settling in his mind. Maybe Loki just wanted to be a hero?

"He was always jealous of you," Sif added.

Thor didn't know how to reject the theory, so he just went on in obstinate silence.

* * *

_To be continued_


	5. Chapter 5

Loki woke up that evening in his bed. For a few minutes he just looked around, trying to remember what happened. From the warm comfort of his bed all the danger and pain seemed like a distant dream. He could recall the moment, when all his will had given out and he could no longer keep down the screams of pain. And then... he didn't really think about what will happen to him, but he honestly didn't expect to wake up at home. As to how he got here, there could be only one answer, no doubt.

"Thor?" he called. His brother's chambers were right down the hall from his and he knew that if Thor was there, he would hear him.

As expected, he heard loud steps – running, he determined from the frequency – and then his older brother burst in though the door.

"Loki!" he shouted with such heartfelt joy, that Loki almost felt out of place. He wasn't awaiting such a show of care.

Loki sat up before, but now he was thrown out of balance, when Thor jumped up on the bed beside him. "Hey," he replied half-heartedly, trying with all his might to compose himself.

"Sorry I wasn't here," Thor started quickly chattering away, while settling down on the bed. "I wanted to wait here until you wake up, but you were taking so long and then I thought about Mjölnir and decided that I will wash it while you are sleeping. And I was just drying it and here you are." He grinned happily.

"Okay," Loki grinned back. "I assume it was you who brought me here?"

"Yes," Thor answered, his cheerfulness somewhat fading. "I decided to return for you. Me and Sif, we went back." He paused briefly, then continued with much more concerned tone: "I don't know if you can explain it to me but when we found you... you weren't breathing."

"I imagine I wasn't," Loki replied casually. "How long was I out?"

"You mean how long you were..." Thor asked in bewilderment.

"How long I was clinically dead, yes," Loki stated with scientific solemnity.

"I have no idea," Thor answered, completely baffled by his brother's calmness.

"It should have been three minutes. It wasn't longer, was it?"

Thor thought about all that happened. It was true that he decided to return rather quickly. It could have just been about three minutes between the moment that Loki's screams cut off and the moment when they found him. Maybe even less. Even though it felt like an eternity back then.

"I think it was about three minutes," he answered therefore.

"Good," Loki smiled. "That means the spell works."

"What spell? Loki, what is it that you've gone, actually?" Thor asked in desperation.

Loki, who seemed to be thinking about something else entirely, answered once again in a completely off-hand manner: "Oh, I stopped my heart."

"You what?" Thor barked out, stunned by the notion.

"It was a spell that allowed me to stop my heart for exactly three minutes and then reactivate it," Loki explained, abandoning the trail of thought he was previously following. "I actually wasn't even sure if I could do it. I have never done it before and when I'd come over it in my book I didn't pay it much attention. But I was out of options and it seemed like the only way out."

"So you planned to do it all along?"

"Not really," Loki looked thoughtful for a moment. "I didn't have any plan. It was logical for me to sacrifice myself so you could get away. I didn't _want_ to die, but if there was no other way..." He shrugged, leaving the sentence unfinished. "It seemed impossible at first. Any spell that I would use to save myself would be stolen away from me, devoured by those creatures. I thought about creating an illusion, make them think that I was dead so they would leave, but they would just tear it down anyway. So the only way of using magic to save me was to never let it leave my body – I had to work inside and there really didn't seem anything more useful then stopping my heart before I will give away the last bit of my strength. I needed the residue of my magic to power the spell that would activate my heart again."

"They why did you wait so long before actually doing it? You were screaming before you actually used the spell," Thor argued, still slightly confused and not even understanding some parts of what Loki told him, but caring nonetheless. "You could have saved yourself the pain."

Loki laughed: "Excellent point. Sadly, it took me so long to weave the spell and trigger it, being also distracted by the wind spell I was already using, that I was nearly half-mad with pain, before I was finished." He waved it off and smirked. "At least this way it was more believable, wasn't it?"

"Extremely believable," Thor admitted grimly.

They sat quietly for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. But even despite all the explanations, Loki felt that Thor isn't satisfied. He patiently waited until the older prince sighed and spoke up.

"Others think you did it for some bigger reason. They refused to believe that you sacrificed yourself for us out of nobility. They think you have some kind of bigger plan. Or that you did it because you wanted to play with our feelings." He looked up at Loki, trying to express with his eyes how much he wished to be wrong.

Loki's eyebrows rose and he responded with voice dripping with sarcasm: "Wow. Maybe I should be flattered that you tend to exaggerate my abilities in such a manner. Because sure, why _wouldn't _I risk my life to see Sif shred some tears for me? Obviously I don't care about anything else in the world. And, oh yes, being eaten alive by will-o'-the-wisps is an important step of my plan of becoming the world champion in chess."

"Maybe not _that_ exactly," Thor snorted and tried to avoid Loki's searching gaze. "But maybe you wanted to play the hero instead of me."

"What do you mean 'instead of you'?" Loki asked in genuine confusion. "Who said you are a hero? Is that some kind of rule that nobody told me about?"

"Uhh," Thor wasn't expecting the question and didn't know how to answer it. It was one of the questions without any real answer, really. It was simply the way things were: Thor was the hero and Loki was his faithful companion. That was how it worked, wasn't it? Thor never before questioned that fact, it seemed so clear.

"But still," Loki continued, letting it slide, "this isn't about which one of us _wants _to make the sacrifice. It's about who is provided with the opportunity. It happened to me, because they showed interest in my magic. If they had showed interest in, say Sif's hair, then she would be the one with the choice. But I imagine she wouldn't decide to save us." He smirked.

Thor turned towards him and watched him thoughtfully for a moment. Then he spoke in a low voice: "Loki... I should probably thank you for deciding to save us, but..."

Loki watched him with interest, even though he felt a small dissatisfaction at the fact that the acknowledgment was followed up with an adversative.

Thor was quiet, staring at the bed sheets.

"But?" Loki pressed him.

"Don't you ever dare do it again!" Thor blurred out furiously and Loki was completely taken aback. "I don't want you to sacrifice yourself, okay? I've never felt as wrong in my life as when I went back home with the knowledge that you died – or were dying, or whatever! It's not meant to be that way! We are meant to be together!"

Were those tears in Thor's eyes? Loki stared in plain fascination. He felt deeply touched, so much that he wasn't sure if he could actually keep it all in.

"I'm... sorry," he tried and his voice broke.

"No, don't be," Thor said in firmer voice. "Just tell me you won't do it again."

"I will certainly try not to," Loki said in a light tone. Knowing how much Thor cared lifted his heart. Only problem lurking in the back of his mind was that the other kids didn't share his sentiment.

"I would hate to lose you, but I understand why you did it," Thor continued, staring into space and seemingly speaking the thoughts as they crossed his mind. "You proved that you are loyal to us. You are nowhere near being a traitor and I will try my best to persuade the others to abandon all their doubts about you."

Loki frowned skeptically: "You've tried so many times. They never listen."

"No," defended Thor, "I'm sure that this time they will believe me. They were there when you made the choice to save us."

Loki didn't argue, he just slipped down from the bed and started out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Thor asked him, following him with his eyes.

Loki stopped and considered for a moment. Usually he would just lie or provide a confusing non-answer, but this time he felt generous: "I'm going to prank Hogun. He deserves it for thinking I'm a traitor."

"And backstabber," Thor murmured to himself. When Loki shot him a questioning glare, he smiled and said: "You know what? I think I will join you."

* * *

_The End_

* * *

**So here we are: back where we started, providing hurt for Loki without any actual comfort, because no matter what he does, none of the others except his brother will ever respect him. You didn't expect them to learn their lesson, did you? Firstly, it wouldn't fit into canon (:P) and secondly, Loki's life isn't a fairytale. (And we love that about him, don't we?)**

**Thanks for reading!**


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